Fulli favenge

IN THREE PARTS.

PART III.

CANTO I.

THE ARGUMENT.

The knight and fquire refolve at once,
The one the other to renounce;

They both approach the lady's bower,

The fquire t'inform, the knight to wooe her. She treats them with a masquerade,

By furies, and hobgoblins made:

From which the fquire conveys the knight, And steals him, from himself, by night.

'Tis true, no lover has that pow'r
T'enforce a defperate amour,

As he that has two strings to's bow,
And burns for love and money too;
For then he's brave and refolute,
Difdains to render in his fuit,

Has all his flames and raptures double,

And hangs, or drowns, with half the trouble;

While those who fillily pursue

The fimple, downright way and true,

Make as unlucky applications,

And steer against the stream, their passions:

Some forge their mistreffes of stars;
And when the ladies prove averse,
And more untoward to be won,
Than by Caligula the moon,
Cry out upon the stars for doing
Ill offices, to cross their wooing;

When only by themselves they're hind'red,
For trufting those they made her kindred;
And ftill, the harsher and hide-bounder
The damfels prove,
become the fonder.

For what mad lover ever dy'd

To gain a foft and gentle bride;
Or for a lady tender-hearted,

In purling streams or hemp departed?
Leap'd headlong int'Elysium,

Through th'windows of a dazzling room?
But for fome cross ill-natur'd dame,
The am'rous fly burnt in his flame.
This to the knight could be no news,
With all mankind fo much in use;
Who therefore took the wifer course,
To make the most of his amours,
Refolv'd to try all forts of ways,
As follows in due time and place.

No fooner was the bloody fight,
Between the wizard and the knight,
With all th'appurtenances, over,
But he relaps'd again t'a lover:
As he was always wont to do
When h'had difcomfited a foe;

And us'd the only antique philtres,
Deriv'd from old heroic tilters.

But now triumphant and victorious,
He held th'atchievement was too glorious
For fuch a conqueror to meddle
With petty constable or beadle;
Or fly for refuge to the hostess

Of th'inns of court and chancery, Justice;
Who might, perhaps, reduce his cause
To th'ordeal trial of the laws;

Where none escape, but such as branded
With red-hot irons have pafs'd bare-handed;
And if they cannot read one verse
I'th'pfalms, must sing it, and that's worse.
He therefore judging it below him,

To tempt a shame the devil might owe him,
Refolv'd to leave the squire for bail
And mainprize for him, to the jail,
To anfwer, with his veffel, all
That might difaftrously befal;

And thought it now the fittest juncture
To give the lady a rencounter,
T'acquaint her with his expedition,
And conqueft o'er the fierce magician:
Defcribe the manner of the fray,
And fhew the fpoils he brought away;
His bloody fcourging aggravate,
The number of the blows, and weight;
All which might probably fucceed,
And gain belief h'had done the deed.